Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1887-02-11
MISS SCAMPER.

and few cared to know. She came with
an old gentleman who registered the
pair as IS. Scamper and grand-daught-
er. New York City" They were doubt
less poor folk on holiday. They had
no servants with them. The old man
wore a suit of rather rusty black. and
his trunk, an antique leathern conven-
iency, bore the letters IS. s. in brass
headed nails. The young woman's
trunk, she had but one,-was LARGE
enough and of modern make, but it
was apparently not very well filed,
since she had shown but three dresses
all the three weeks she had remained.
One OF these, of rich matreial. she wore
evenings; the other two of some wash
able material, were worn alternately
in day time. She had no jewelry be-
yond plain gold brooch. One of the
eligible young men there said that 1.-THE
Scamper has one Sunday go to-meetin'
and two work day suits. for which his
neighbor should have kicked him. but
ddn' t.
for an eligible mate in the person of
Miss BolSover, the great heiress, whom
the society paper had said was coming
to tie Rappaquah; though as she had
not come. the Browns young man of
the society paper labored under delu-
sion. The matchmaking dowagers
did not fear this modest, pretty, and
wel-cutured young woman. for the
glded youth. who were also living in
wait for Miss Bosover. much more
glded did not dsngle in her train. Her
bus ness was to look after her poor old
grandfather, who was not in good
health. and with whom the waters seem
ed to agree. Didymus Dodd, who had
scraped an acquaintance with old
Scamper. as the fellows irreverently
called him, seemed to be her admrer;
but Didymus was nobody. He was well
made, tall, handsome. and of good adj
dress; but he was only an upper clerk
IN Philadelphia insurance company.
TO be sure he would be superintendent
uluary, Uice Higgins. retired
- pngeto1. I'D would then
draw salary Of live thousand a year.
Bat no one knew that and the possible
good fortune TO poor Miss Scamper;
and had they known five thousand a
year was no great matter. SO the field
was left to Miss Scamper and welcome.
Didymus only began paying atten-
ton to Miss Scamper out of curiosity,
and because no one else did; but the
more he saw of her the more he liked
her. and it ended in his being badly hit.
As he and She were the only impecu-
NOUS people at the old and old-fash-
Toned esort-the other visitors count
ing their dollars well up in the
hundred thousands-the matter at
tracted attention, and by the way of
getting both out of the way OF marriag-
able sons and daughters, scheming
mothers lent the affair all the quiet en-
enlargement possible And this pass
ed into more active nature from two
little incidents that occurred about ten |
days before che end of the two months
vacation of Didymus.
There was a Mrs. De Nyse of the /
Springs, who was known as an anna
tyr vocalist of merit. and whose voice. !
enough little reedy in the upper notes,
had been trained so well as to make |
her worth a hearing. One evening, when |
q few were in the parlor, her friends be- !
sought her to favor them and so on.
and she expressed her readiness, but
there happened to be no accompanist
Miss Scamper who was chatting near
by with Didymus, looked up. and quiet
" said. Perhaps can serve you that
way. Mrs. De Nyse.
Scan you play at sight Miss Scamp
erP' inquired Mrs De Nyse.
Miss Scamper nodded assent. and
seated herself at the piano-forte. and
accompanied the voice with such good
judgement that the singer was delgh
ed
II wish could carry you about with
me. my dear" she said. But do you
not singP You surely must"
"a little.
Urged by all around. Miss Scamper.
70 her own accompaniment sang an
aria II TrOUdtore. Her voice proved
70 be a rich soprano, of full register.
clear as a silver bell, and admirably
cultivated. There was a moments
pause when she had done, as though
not to loose note, and then storm Of
applause.
~ Here was a sensation. Every body
talked of her method. and the gilded
youth were in raptures. The mammas
conferred and concluded that Miss
Scamper was member of some church
choir. or attached TO some English OPP
era troupe, who knew? But they were
civil. Trere was party going over to
Almot. Colonel Parsifall's place, next
WnnlH oha 1np Ckn o...-tnI